Apical cytoplasm

About: Apical cytoplasm is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 1080 publications have been published within this topic receiving 36131 citations.

Cell membrane resorption in the rat exocrine pancreas cell after in vivo stimulation of the secretion, as studied by in vitro incubation with extracellular space markers

Abstract: Pancreatic secretion in the rat was stimulated in vivo by pilocarpine injection causing 90% of the storage granules to be discharged within 2 h. Incubation in vitro with [14C]sorbitol indicated that maximal ingestion of this extracellular space marker occurred 3 h after secretogogue injection. Morphological cell membrane measurements on cells with stimulated secretion revealed a simultaneous decrease in amount of membrane bordering the microvilli at the cell apex, lamellar processes, and infoldings present at the latero-basal face of these cells. In 3-h stimulated cells, having the average zymogen granule content characteristic for that phase of secretion, ferritin treatment in vitro showed that the infoldings and related fragmentation vesicles had ingested ferritin and could consequently be considered as being transport vehicles for redundant cell membrane. During stimulated secretion numerous vesicles and vacuoles appeared in the apical cytoplasm. Part of these structures were postulated to be related to the Golgi complex and were discussed in relation to secretory protein transport. Another part of these structures was assumed to have an endocytotic nature, although they never contained ferritin.

Cytoplasmic filaments and morphogenesis: effects of cytochalasin B on contractile epidermal cells.

Abstract: During tail resorption in Distaplia occidentalis the caudal epidermis contracts to 8.5% of its initial length in about 6 minutes and forces the axial complex (muscle, notochord and nerve cord) into a coiled configuration in the trunk. The contraction of the caudal epidermal cells is accompanied by rapid alignment of arrays of circa 50 A (diameter) filaments parallel to the axis of contraction in the apical cytoplasm of each epidermal cell. Normal metamorphosis (including tail resorption) can be instantly induced by treating tadpole larvae with 0.5% dimethylsulfoxide. Cytochalasin B, (CCB) > 0.25 μg/ml rapidly inhibits contraction of the caudal epidermis. The tail stops shortening, then partly re-extends. When CCB is removed by washing immediately after relaxation, tail resorption resumes. Cytochalasin B reversibly disrupts the organization of central and subterminal arrays of apical filaments in the contractile caudal epidermal cells. Membrane associated filaments near the junctional complexes are not disrupted by 0.25–1.0 μg/ml of CCB. This suggests that CCB does not degrade the filaments into subunits. It is more likely that CCB blocks contraction by disrupting the binding forces between overlapping filaments and facilitates the disorganization of unattached filaments. A second type of filament with a fusiform configuration has been detected in the epidermal cells after CCB treatment. The possibility that these are myosinoid proteins is considered. The data presented in this paper strengthen the hypothesis that the filaments in the epidermal cells are part of a contractile apparatus.

Bipolarity of duodenal enterochromaffin cells in the rat.

Abstract: Enterochromaffin cells of the rat duodenum have been studied immunocytochemically by use of a specific antiserum to serotonin. At the light-microscopic level serotonin immunoreactivity was observed in enterochromaffin cells located in the epithelium of the duodenal mucosa. Most of the serotonin-immunoreactive material was localized to the basal portion of the enterochromaffin cells, but small amounts of immunoreactive material were regularly observed in the apical portion. At the electron-microscopic level serotonin immunoreactivity in enterochromaffin cells was found to be concentrated over the dense cores of the cytoplasmic granules. The majority of these granules was located in the basal cytoplasm of the enterochromaffin cells, but serotonin-immunoreactive granules were also observed in the apical cytoplasm immediately beneath the microvilli. These observations indicate that duodenal enterochromaffin cells are bipolar and that they secrete serotonin both basally, to the circulation, and apically, to the gut lumen. Rat duodenal enterochromaffin cells thus appear to have an exocrine as well as an endocrine function.

The absorption of fat by intestine of golden hamster in vitro.

Abstract: Everted sacs of intestine from golden hamsters were incubated at 37°C for at least 1 hour in vitro with emulsified lipid after removal of both pancreatic lipase and bile salts. The fine structure of intestinal epithelium is well preserved under these conditions. Absorption of fat by the intestinal mucosa in vitro closely resembles lipid absorption in vivo, as observed by both light and electron microscopy. The physiological significance of these observations is discussed. Tubular elements of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum are often strikingly abundant in the apical cytoplasm of intestinal absorptive cells. These have a role in the intracellular transport of fat since they frequently contain droplets of lipid derived from the incubation medium. The rate of fat accumulation in the epithelium appears to be proportional to the concentration in the medium.